


A Precarious Masquerade

by Magestorrow



Category: Bartimaeus - Jonathan Stroud
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, commoner!nathaniel, set during AoS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 13:21:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13077735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magestorrow/pseuds/Magestorrow
Summary: When he was five years old, Nathaniel's parents discovered a startling fact - their only child had the potential to become a magician. They could have easily given him up to the government and taken the reward. But they loved their son, so they decided to pretend that his gifts had never existed. It became a closely guarded secret; even Nathaniel was unaware of his latent abilities. Years went by. They raised him the best they could, showering him with love and affection. They imparted their strong sense of justice onto their son, who grew to despise the magicians from their oppressive rule. It was only when he turned ten that he realized he had the means to overthrow them - for reasons unknown to him, he could easily summon their demons.





	A Precarious Masquerade

**Prologue**

“I am not afraid of you! I have given you your charge and demand you go!” 

The demon in the pentacle across from him faltered; Nathaniel, in turn, did the same. All of the courage he could muster had been put into those two sentences. If the the demon didn't leave, he would be forced to use some form of punishment. His frantic mind struggled to recall what would work best in a situation like this. His books had never said what was the best, and he worried that a small mistake would become a fatal error.

“It is not me you have to fear; not now, anyway. Simon Lovelace will come to you himself when he finds his amulet stolen. He will not spare you for your youth.”

The demon's attempts to change his mind amounted to nothing. This was a reality that Nathaniel was already certain of. In fact, it would be a miracle if he wasn't somehow caught. Hiding a smile that was surprisingly grim for an eleven year old, he replied, “You are bound to do my will.”

“I am.” 

The demon didn't move. 

Suddenly remembering what one was supposed to do in a situation like this, Nathaniel moved his hand. He started to utter the first syllable of the systematic vice. The demon, realizing what his intentions were, made a quick exit out of the slightly ajar window. And Nathaniel sunk to the ground, his limbs shivering with both an incredible excitement and horrifying terror.

It had worked. It had actually worked! He had summoned a demon – a djinni, no less – and he hadn't died in the attempt. He could never let anyone know. It was a secret, but it was a marvelous one. Who would ever suspect a child like him? A shaky laugh left his lips. Even the demon hadn't suspected the true nature of its charge! It had seen him as merely a magician's apprentice, acting on the whim of his master. Nathaniel, seizing the opportunity, had perfectly played the part. 

He nervously straighten out his shirt as he got to his feet. The thought of what lay ahead terrified him, but it also enveloped him in dangerous, strange excitement. He was doing the unprecedented. If he played his cards right, he could change the world. And if he failed-

No. He would succeed. Bartimaeus would complete its task to the best of its ability, and he would be the new owner of the amulet by tomorrow morning. Then he would dismiss the demon. Bartimaeus would never be the wiser. Even if Simon Lovelace discerned the identity of the djinni and summoned it, he would never discover who the true thief was. 

He would scour the streets of London for a magician's apprentice. And Nathaniel, sitting safely in his home, would be completely exempt. For Bartimaeus couldn't have been more wrong during their brief conversation; he had never been one of the magicians of London.

He was, in fact, a commoner.

**Author's Note:**

> The dialogue in this prologue were directly taken from the first chapter of the AoS, though this, hopefully, has enough differences to prevent you from growing bored. The rest of this fanfiction may borrow several other lines and scenes from AoS, but I'll skip over the majority of the ones that are unchanged. For example, the next chapter will completely skip over the scenes where Bartimaeus steals the amulet. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this prologue. If you did, please let me know in a comment. I'd love to see what you think of my alternate universe!


End file.
